Problems Offering Opportunities
January 26, 2023 Uncategorized 1 comment jspencer23
Duke Ellington, an American Jazz legend said, “A problem is a chance for you to do your best.” This to me means that if you are given a problem, it is up to you to take on the task and to complete it as best as you can. Everyone is different in the way that they deal with the task at hand. It’s a chance for a person to see what they are capable of when they put their mind to it. For some, it becomes a challenge that they have to overcome and complete.
A story of another person that encountered a problem and had to do his best is Travis Mills. He is a quadruple amputee veteran who survived an IED blast. He lost all of his limbs and had to learn to adapt to his new life. He went from being independent and capable of doing everything himself to not even being able to eat or go to the bathroom without assistance. He had to be patient and relearn how to use his new prosthetic arms and legs. He has continued on with his life, including having a family and creating a foundation to help others like him. His motto is “Never give up, Never quit!” He took the problem he had and flipped it into something positive, he is doing his best.
A personal story about me having a problem and using my chance to do my best is when I volunteered to help a local disabled veteran stack wood. When I was a freshman, a disabled veteran contacted the Sabattus Police Department to ask if he could get some help to stack his wood he needed to heat his home. One of the officers, who was one of my football coaches, asked our team to help. Some of us were happy to volunteer. We showed up at the Veterans house with most of the police department to get the wood moved and stacked. So the problem was solved with the help of people working together with each other.
“181012-D-PB383-012” by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
“Stacking Wood” by Thomas Hawk is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.
1 Comment
I agree a problem is a chance to do your best. It helps show you are capable of overcoming difficult situations. Just like how Travis Mills overcame having absolutely no limbs and was able to continue on with life and build a foundation to help others like him. He overcame the challenge of having to use the bathroom on his own and even eating! When you, some members of the football team, and the Sabattus Police Department helped the disabled veteran stack wood it reminded me of the time my Nana took a foreign family under her wing. This family was from the middle-east and spoke no English. My Nana helped them with the ins and outs of Auburn. You are very kind for offering your time to help someone in need. How often do people offer their help to others to solve problems that are not theirs?